For nearly a year, House lawmakers in Washington have been trying to tame the unwieldy landscape of revenue-sharing between colleges and student athletes. Now the Senate is taking a crack at it: Late last week members introduced a bipartisan bill to address the matter. But many experts remain highly skeptical that any legislation designed to overhaul America’s college athletics system will pass before the end of the year.
Trying to establish a uniform national framework for the college athletics market is a complex challenge that has bred contention not only between political parties, but also among various college conferences and athletes.
Since a pivotal Supreme Court ruling was handed down in 2021, student athletes have been able to profit off their name, image and likeness through contracts with third-party groups. Then, in June 2025, a federal court ruled that colleges could pay student athletes directly. Combined, the two developments created a new, unregulated frontier, sparking both opportunities and concerns.
Bypassing the Bachelor’s Degree
Cornell Graduate Banned After President Hit Him With Car
